What Lurks Below

It was a dreary, cold day on the island. Rain and clouds had moved in from the west coast, pelting Onu Koro first in its wet vengeance. The normal entrances in to the archive matrix had to be closed at a risk of flooding the entire Koro. Only people at the centre of the village could get in or out of the mines. This made the dreary dark caves seem even drearier and darker. It’s strange coming from an Onu Matoran, but I absolutely hate the dark. My quadrant of the digging tunnels had been shut down until the rain passes, so I had tons of time to kill, and decided to start wandering about the Old Shaft. The shaft hadn’t seen activity in it in a loooong time, as it had been mined for all its worth. Every now and again a matoran decides to wander about, so I did the same. The old lightstones had long been decaying, and have turned to Glowdust that lit the narrow tunnels in a strange way. Shimmering light danced on the walls and played with my eyes as I ventured ever onward. I felt a bit lost, as the light had played tricks on my mind and any map that existed for the Old Shaft had long been lost. I could only truly take comfort in the rythmic breathing of my trusty ussal crab Tatora as she followed behind me. The cave mustve been deeper than I suspected, as it grew warmer the further on we went. However, there was a strange chill I would feel in the air every now and again. If it were wind, I would have heard it howling through the cave, so I knew it wasnt anything natural. It wasnt in my head either, as whenever I felt it Tatora would tremble a wee bit, sensing something ominous as well. Fokelore in Onu Koro tells of a beast that lives deep in the Koro, in a cave long fogotten. It has been said that the beast is not a rahi, and not a matoran, rather something known as a Deimon. I had decided to investigate this matter a little while ago at the Ko Koro archives. I didn’t find any true tale of such beast, but rather a document depicting its features. Three matoran tall, black as the Makuta’s soul, and red deimonic eyes that pierced your very being if ever was someone so foolish to look directly into them. It also spoke of its arms. Long, sinewy, cold and carried a hand that wielded three stange claws that drug on the ground with its every step. I snapped out of my memory as the foul wind swept over me again. My eyes focused on something just beyond the curtain of darkness that restricted my eyes from seeing deeper into the cave. I saw something, a tall figure, shift just out of distance and dissapear. I know that that was what I had focused on. I heard a strange noise coming from the other side, and identified it as scraping. Something was walking towards me, its claws scarring the rocky ground. It was then that I made the fatal mistake of dismounting Tatora. As soon as I did, she scuttled off t’ward the light. I turned around and peered into the darkness. My eyes met with the gory, blood-red spheres of hate that inhabited the Deimons skull. The eyes dissapeared, and I heard frantic clwaing come from all over the cave. He had started to strike every surface in the cave, attempting to hunt me. It started to speak nonsenseical words, vowels and phrases into the air, and the syllables whipped into my ears from all directions, making his position indescernible. “Etaoin Shrdlu..” “What?!” “Donatio volentem. Abalam!” “I don’t understand!” “Nobis...” “Shut up!” “Confusio!!!!!!” “Greeeaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!” I screamed, running into the darkness flailing my arms, tears of fear streaming down my face. I then hit a strange, disgusting, cold leg. I peeled my face off of the sticky appendage and looked up, into its red eyes. The globes of burgandy hate gazed upon my pathetic lonely soul, evaluating my very being. It did not blink. It did not move its head. It didnt even seem alive. Menacingly, it raised one of its wretched claws to my face and slowly brought it along my face, sensing me, tasting me. I broke my eyes away from his and looked at its chest. It began to convulge as six black ribs opened very casket like and folded outwards, spewing vile fluid over my body. The cavity that opened was devoid of any normal, Matanuian organs. The only thing occupying any space was a decrepit green heartlike organ. I was entranced by the strange beat that encapsulated my mind. As soon as it had my mind in its grasp, the being’s chest organ altogether opened its ow weird eye that set its gaze upon my trembling body. “Follower of the tainted society....” A raspy voice spoke from an unknown location, “Become one with our clan, and dwell evermore in darkness...” Awestruck by the entities ability to speak, I did not answer fast enough for it to be pleased. This became evident when the deimon rose his depraved arm up, and struck me across the face with his piercing claws. I rose my hand to my face and felt the rush of crimson fluid; blood. Lots and lots of blood. I peered up, and saw he was standing over me menacingly, his chest still open. Instinctually, with the will to survive, I jumped up and grabbed the dejected organ, and gripped for all my life was worth. The creature reeled in pain, furiously swiping at me like a Nui Rama gone feral, drawing forth more blood out of my body. I held on to the heart, hoping this would somehow kill the creature. Pity was, is that if I die here, no one will remember me. No one will know I was down here. My body may never be discovered, and I'll lay here to rot. Dead without a cause; the stupid little matoran that wandered off. My only hope now was the carving rock I kept in my bag at all times. If I can just get it into his eye.... I started to fondle around in my bag with my free arm, clenching the organ with the other. "There!" I exclaimed, as I put my hand down upon the stone surface. Without even thinking, I thrust the rock into his eye, creating the most high pitched squeal I have ever heard in my life. Infuriated, he struck me across the face again with an extremely powerful blow. My vision had begun to fade in and out. I was dying. "IT cam from in here!!!!" "Where?" "Here!" Two Onu Matoran burst into the cave, lead by Tatora. The Lightstones they were holding illuminated the gruesome thing, and they store at it in fear and awe. Shocked and happy, I looked at them dumbly through my single open eye. "..." "THROW THE ****ING PICK AXE!!!!!!!!!!!!" I exclaimed, beginning to cry, loosening my grip on the organ. As if in slow motion, the axe twirled through the air delicately, like a butterfly. It struck the beast hard, and I let go as he wailed away into the infinite darkness of the cave. I collapsed onto the ground, crying, breathing, aching. The two Onu Matoran lifted my broken, beaten body onto Tatora, and departed towards the Koro. * * * I moved to the nomadic Ko-Koro mountains, with memories of the battle; the left side of my face is horribly disfigured and my left arm was amputated. I write this as a warning, for those curios of the Deimon, do not wander further, for you must be weary of what lurks below.